Maximum security

It was only last December 15, 2014 when there was much-publicized raid on the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) at Muntinlupa City. Two follow-up raids were also done on Dec. 18 and 19. Conducted then under the direction of self-confessed senatorial wannabe Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima, the “surprise” raid produced huge amounts of contraband items reportedly discovered and supposedly seized.

These raiding teams were the ones instead surprised to find contrabands that included not only a large number of firearms and huge quantities of shabu but also electronic gadgets to boost signals of cellular phones to several units of appliances from electric fan, air coolers to air conditioners to flat-screen TV, and even a jacuzzi.

In the aftermath of the first raid, a group of 19 inmates from NBP’s so-called maximum security compound was segregated from the rest of the more than 23,000 inmates at the state penal facility originally built to house 8,000 prisoners. Later dubbed as the “Bilibid 19,” they were transferred to the detention cells at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) compound along Taft Avenue in Manila.

De Lima justified the segregation of the high-profile inmates as one of the measures to prevent them from continuously plying their criminal trade right inside the NBP’s supposedly maximum security area. The “Bilibid 19” were rounded up precisely because of violations of prison regulations, among other additional and new criminal charges against them.

If the raid supposedly aimed to put a stop to the nefarious drug trade inside the NBP, why were some of those transferred to NBI not charged with drug-related crimes? Just wondering aloud.

The relatives of the inmates are  reportedly now complaining that while the reason for their transfer to NBI was their supposed possession of numerous firearms and huge quantities of drugs, only 2 out of the 19 have been charged. Eleven months after the raid, one of them was charged for alleged possession of 3 bullets, and the other for possessing one tenth of a gram of shabu. No report of the raid had even been made by the DOJ.

Worse, some of the items confiscated from the 19 were allegedly not exactly contraband but were actually expensive jewelry and substantial amounts of cash. They filed a formal letter to De Lima asking her prompt action for the return of alleged missing jewelry and personal cash.

Incidentally, both the NBI and the Bureau of Corrections – which supervises the NBP – are attached agencies under the DOJ.

Transferred at the NBI detention, they were held incommunicado, at least for awhile. But when they were not allowed visits by relatives and even by their lawyers, writs of amparo were subsequently filed by their legal counsels. Only after the Court of Appeals granted their petitions that the DOJ relented and allowed limited visits. Criminal cases were also filed against De Lima at the Ombudsman for violating the Constitution as well as Republic Act 7438 which governed the rights of prisoners and expressly prohibited prisoners from being held incommunicado.

While the Bilibid 19 were cooling their heels at the NBI detention, reports started coming out in media on very serious allegations against De Lima in particular amid public knowledge of her senatorial run in the coming May, 2016 elections. Among other allegations, the sudden interest over these flagrant activities at the NBP was nothing but a “power play” to divert attention away from certain privileged inmates who were being allegedly protected by unseen hands orchestrating it from the dark bowels of power at the DOJ.

Cited as a case in point is that of one J.B. Sebastian, a life-termer, who was left untouched notwithstanding that he had the biggest, most luxurious “kubol” (private apartment) inside the NBP’s maximum security compound.  Sebastian even held a concert inside the NBP, complete with a full band and female dancers. Footages of the concert also came out in media.

Thus, when the new NBP Superintendent Ricardo Rainier Cruz III and under a new DOJ head, Secretary Benjamin Caguioa conducted a series of surprise raids last week, the bulk of contrabands came from Sebastian’s “kubol.” But more surprisingly, the newest raids yielded even more firearms and other weapons, as well as a greater quantity of drugs and even sex toys.

Now, if ex-DOJ chief had indeed raided all of the firearms, then how come there were still more of them last week?

The supreme irony, J.B. Sebastian, has been reportedly moved to the same isolation building as the original “Bilibid 19” following these latest raids at the NBP.  It looks like his privileges ceased as soon as his “protector or protectors” are no longer around. There are new sheriffs in town, so to speak.

These convicts inside our penal system should serve out their time for their crimes against society. But the penology system in our country is losing sight of the other half of its intention, to rehabilitate and prepare these people who lost their way to rejoin the society as productive and law-abiding  citizens again. I believe it is time Congress should look into this practice and undertake measures to put a stop to the corruption in the Bureau of Corrections. The Bureau of Corrections is itself in need of much correction.

If these convicts could sneak in these high-powered firearms in strictly guarded places like the NBP’s maximum security compound, how much more to an open society such as in France can stop a determined terrorist group to carry out their evil plots as in the latest incident of suicide bombing and shooting spree in Paris last Saturday?

During his courtesy visit at The Star last Thursday, newly appointed French ambassador to the Philippines Thierry Mathou was commiserating with us on our woes about the resulting traffic in Metro Manila due to the tight security laid out for this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ summit taking place here.

The French envoy told us they, too, in Paris are in the thick of preparations for the holding of the Climate Change Conference later this month when 105 heads of states and governments and 120,000 foreign delegates will participate. With three leaders not attending the summit here of 21-member APEC, our government authorities still have to deal with security nightmare for the 17 other leaders and their respective delegations.

To give way to the APEC Leaders’ summit, we will not have this week’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay at Luneta Hotel in T.M. Kalaw, Manila. We will resume next Wednesday (November 25) for a post-APEC topic.